A device called a planchette was first made in France in the 1850s. Early planchettes, precursors to those used with talking boards today, were made of triangular- or heart-shaped wood. The planchette had a pencil attached to the front and two small legs with casters allowing it to move across the table. Users rested their fingertips upon the planchette while a spirit allegedly guided them in writing and conveying messages to the living world. Planchette writing, however, proved cumbersome, as it was difficult to decipher the scrawling messages.

Milton Bradley first released their unusual take on the talking board in 1892. The top piece of the board slides sideways on wooden rollers at the bottom of the board, revealing tiny letters and numbers, which may be viewed through a peephole in the board.

The William Fuld Manufacturing Company produced a number of interesting boards, perhaps none more so than the exceedingly rare Mystifying Oracle Electric, which they offered in the 1930s. The oversized board and planchette are made of sheet metal and finished in a faux mahogany. The board displays an unusual, scattered alphabet layout with a Grecian-inspired border pattern. Its most unusual feature, however, is a remarkable light-up planchette, powered by a dry-cell battery. An electric bulb cleverly illuminates letters through the viewing window when the electric switch, located on the underside of the planchette, comes into contact with bumps on the board.

Magi-Board 1943Psychic-Graf Company Inc.Hartford, Connecticutdesign on cardboardCourtesy of Eugene Orlando/Museum of Talking BoardsL2016.1101.022a-c

The planchette for the Magi-Board consists of a wooden cross with a large pointer at its center. Users had to balance the device on their fingertips.